AKRON, Ohio -- If you like campy, over-the-top violence, intriguing plot lines and creative dialogue in movies, you’re in luck: A three-film fest featuring Quentin Tarantino in one form or another will be shown Saturday at Akron Civic Theatre.

It’s with more than a touch of irony that the movies – which have no shortage of bloody scenery – will be shown at the classic, elegant theater in downtown Akron. Doors open at 4 p.m. Screenings start at 6 p.m., with 30-minute breaks. Admission is $12. Several food vendors will be on hand. The theater is at 182 Main Street with street parking and garages nearby.

View full sizeUma Thurman, a Tarantino favorite, graves the cover of "Pulp Fiction."

In addition to concerts, Akron Civic hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including fundraisers, children’s shows, food-oriented events and more. So it’s not much of a stretch to show a troika of Tarantino movies.

“We thought the idea of this was cool, and the Civic likes to do diverse programming,” Val Renner, media-public relations-event manager, told The Plain Dealer. This is the first film fest of the year, she added.

We offer a primer of the movies in the order they will be shown. They have several things in common: Tarantino and Harvey Keitel appear in each, all were made in the 1990s, and all are rated R:

Pulp FictionInfo: 1994; 2 hours, 34 minutes.Plot: To describe how the linear action of this movie is paced would turn off many moviegoers. But Tarantino pulls it off. It all revolves around Marcellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), who loses something extremely important, so he dispatches hitmen to retrieve it. Throw in a palooka of a boxer (Bruce Willis), a bored girlfriend (Uma Thurman) and an epiphanous hitman (Samuel L. Jackson), and you won’t leave your seat. Parallel storylines converge – violently, of course.

Scene stealer: The entire cast gets the nod here. This is the film that put Tarantino on the map. If I had a gun to my head – and if I were a character in this movie, I probably would have – I would say Christopher Walken chews it up better than anyone. Feel free to disagree.

Plot: At its core, this is a whodunit. Or whoisit, as the case may be. A bunch of not-so-trusting guys with colorful names – literally – get together for a heist. One has a special secret. And has there ever been a movie with bad guys pulling off a smooth heist?

Scene stealer: Michael Madsen. His character has a sadistic penchant, but you can’t stop watching. The late Chris Penn delivered his usual stellar performance.

From Dusk Till Dawn

Info: 1996, 1 hour, 48 minutes

Plot: Tarantino acted in and wrote the screenplay for this one, which was directed by Robert Rodriguez. This is my least favorite among the three. It’s two different movies. The first half is a heist-chase, which lands bad-guy brothers played by George Clooney and Tarantino on the run and in a small town. The second half evolves into a good old-fashioned vampire movie. Lose the vampires and I’d be happier. (Yes, Clooney and Tarantino play brothers. Go figure.)

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